Saturday, June 30, 2012

Hello, darlings! Hope all is well with all of you. All is well here, busy traveling back & forth across the state, spending time in three different homes while Beren works.

Diet-wise, nothing much has changed. I'm eating vegan except for the occasional bit of cheese when nothing else is available on the menu, loosely counting POINTS+, focusing on lots of vegetables and whole grains. Eating out is a bit challenging but I've been lucky enough to fidnd some veg-friendly dishes, and accommodating chefs who have been happy to make something special for me.

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

Spicy Veggies & Tofu

Veggie Roll

Norito Bowl

The RV is parked in a beautiful location, allowing for lots of Loki walks which has been wonderful for both of us.

We're in Ormond this weekend, meeting a bunch of Beren's college pals for a mutual 50th Birthday celebration. I'm sure it'll be a wild time, pics to follow.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

First of all, this is what I woke up to find on my nightstand this morning...

Can you say, PMS? *blush*

No, I didn't eat the whole carton of coconut milk "ice cream" in one sitting, and I didn't drink the beer along with it, but you get the point. This is Not Good.

And another thing. I picked up Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon, started browsing through the recipes this morning, and while they all look super-yummy, I was shocked to find really high calorie content in some of them. The Mardi Gras Beans & rice, for example, has 608 calories per serving. Whoa! That's a lot, don't you think? I mean, it's low-fat and healthy but a calorie is still a calorie, right? In order to lose weight you've got to reduce those buggers one way or another!I don't think you can mindlessly graze all day long, even of the "good stuff," and still maintain (or achieve) your girlish figure. Since Ms. Nixon does provide a 1,200 calorie menu planning service, I'm thinking she must agree.

So, what the hell does this mean? I don't freaking know. Do I count calories? POINTS? Or just give up and wallow in some more fatty "health food."

Friday, June 1, 2012

Since going "vegan" in March, I've been doing tons & tons of research, reading everything I can get my hands on regarding a plant-based diet, watching documentaries, experimenting with recipes, etc. etc. It's been all consuming, honestly, but I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I still have a lot to learn, but so far what I've realized is this: You can be a fat, unhealthy vegan. You can fill your body with processed non-meat garbage the same as your omnivore friends. There is an abundance of vegan junk food out there, and while consuming it may be ethically good for the animals and the planet overall, it's not necessarily good for you.

Being a lapsed vegetarian, I thought I knew what I was doing and hopped on the vegan bandwagon with both feet. I gathered up faux sour cream, mozzarella "cheese," vegan burgers and sausage like it was going out of style. I was ever so proud of myself for making this change in my diet/lifestyle, and I felt really good both physically and emotionally. However, my new eating plan did nothing to make the scale move. So I went back to logging my food into Weight Watchers, counting food POINTS and earning extra by walking. Still no loss, and I was beginning to feel deprived and frustrated. Though WW is an awesome program and I recommend it whole heartedly, I do not think it's a good option for vegans. Yes, they do promote vegetable consumption and that's awesome, but they also have that dairy requirement and very few of their recipes (and none of their own foods) are veg-friendly. I have some other issues but for now I'm going to leave it at that, at least until I show some success with another eating plan.

So, after countless hours in front of the tv watching documentaries, browsing websites and downloading books onto my Kindle, I have come to the conclusion that for a plant-based weight loss program, Dr. John McDougall has the right program for me. His plan consists of unlimited veggies, whole foods, good starches, and a generous amount of fruit. What he doesn't allow is fat, oil, animal products of any kind, and processed food is seriously discouraged. This sounds strict, I know, but I'm going to give it a go and see what happens. Honestly, I started the "diet" yesterday and have already lost half a pound.

Now, you all know me. There are a couple of things I really enjoy that I'm not willing to give up: coffee and my beloved chardonnay. I'm hoping I can still achieve success with these small "cheats." We shall see.

Thanks for bearing with me as I muddle through this stuff, would love to hear input from you all, especially if you're, or ever have been, a McDougaller.

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"Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than the skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one's soul, when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood."

"Beautiful? It's all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest... beautiful, no. Amusing, yes."